


Back Roads

by Skater2



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-02-25
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 15,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/657885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skater2/pseuds/Skater2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the BAU team travels to rural Alabama to deal with a case involving women being abducted during routine car trips, Reid struggles with a decision on whether to continue a relationship with a lady he believes to be a high class call girl.</p><p>Sequal to Things Are Seldom What They Seem</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> After reading "Things Are Seldom What They Seem" a friend asked me what happened during Reid's 'date' with Heather/ Christina. I already had an answer for that, and I also knew what happened during their second outing. I just had to come up with a case to tie the two events together. Hopefully, I will be able to complete this screenplay in a way that works.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Standard Disclaimer: I don't have any right to any of the Criminal Minds characters, settings, etc. etc.

“Drat and Double Drat! What was that 18-wheeler, cabbie thingie doing blocking the road?” Sue Ann Harris thought as she brought her car to a stop. She was running late for class and had already accepted the fact that she was going to have to settle for cafeteria coffee instead of stopping at her favorite coffee shop.

Looking out her windshield, she noticed that the driver of the other vehicle seemed to be waving her into the parking lot of a small strip mall. That would work. She could go in this entrance and exit at the entrance further down, just past where the cabbie thingie was stopped. She pulled in.

The other driver stepped into the lot and waved for Sue Ann to stop. He seemed to be staying a safe distance from her driver’s side window so she rolled it down. “Do you need me to call - -?“ she started to ask

She never finished the sentence. A burst of spray hit her face and paralyzed her. Belatedly she noticed that the other driver had donned a surgical mask and goggles. She felt her car door being pulled open, and she was being pulled out of her car. Then – Nothing.


	2. You Did What Last Night?

****It was early on a brisk fall morning, and Dr. Spencer Reid was on his way to work at the BAU. A slight smile on his face and a bounce in his step indicated that this Wednesday morning was indeed something special. As he got off the elevator and headed into the bullpen area, SSA Derek Morgan came up behind him and quickly matched his stride to Reid’s.

“So – How’d it go last night?” Morgan was frankly curious.

“Actually, it was quite interesting,” Reid replied. “Dr. Michaels has done some groundbreaking research in the field of human sexuality. Do you know how many steps there actually are in the human sexual response cycle?”

“So, on the first date, you go to see a sex therapist?” Morgan asked. “Am I the only one that thinks this is a little weird?”

“Not really,” Reid protested. “She is a world renowned researcher!”

A pink-haired Penelope Garcia caught up with them, the bright colors of her outfit brightening the drab colors of the government building. “TMI, too much information!!! Did you at least take Heather – Excuse me, Christina – Out to eat afterwards?”

“Not really,” Reid told her. “Christina was part of the committee hosting Dr. Michaels so we went to the reception in her honor afterwards. They had snacks and drinks there. I had never been to a reception like that.”

Morgan turned and looked at him. “What do you mean you had never been to one? You were a grad student, weren’t you – Three times?”

“Well, I was underage for the first two and they serve alcohol at the receptions. Besides, I always seemed to ask questions nobody appreciated. By the time the third one came along, I had lost interest,” Reid looked embarrassed as he detailed his failure to integrate into the university culture.

“Did you at least walk her home?” Garcia persisted.

“Well, she had to catch the last train home on the Metro,” Reid told her. He turned toward her and Morgan.

“Why the interest in my personal life all of a sudden?” he asked.

Moran smirked knowingly. “She’s a hot lady, man, and you are a little out of practice. We just want to make sure everything goes smoothly,” he told the young agent.

They had reached Reid’s desk and he was putting his messenger bag away as he mumbled, “As if I had any practice to begin with -”

“That is **so** sweet. Don’t worry. You’ll figure things out,” Garcia cooed.

“If not, I’ll get you a book or two!” Morgan volunteered.

There was a rustle on the balcony as SSA Aaron Hotchner, wearing his usual glum expression, appeared from his office. “Okay everyone, listen up – We have a case,” he announced. “Boardroom, please.”


	3. Chapter 2

The entire team quickly assembled in the boardroom, with Reid still glaring at Morgan. Agent Hotchner, wearing his usual well-fitted grey suit and with an unusually serious look on his face, stood at the front of the room. 

“I just received a call from the Arkansas State Police,” he began. “They have recently noticed a pattern of missing women along the I-59 corridor, northeast of Birmingham. About an hour and a half ago, they received information that indicates another woman has been abducted in that area. We need to move fast if we hope to get her back alive. We will do the briefing on the plane. Wheels up in 30!”

Hotch paused a moment and then looked at their Technical Analyst. “Garcia,” he said, “The Arkansas State Police are sending you all their files. As soon as you have them organized, please forward them to us on the plane.”

“I’ll be waiting for them,” Garcia assured him as she hurried back to her office.

“How busy is that corridor?” Blake wondered as the team left the room. 

“Where I-59 leaves Birmingham, it is a six lane highway,” Reid replied. "However, it quickly narrows down to a four-lane highway used mainly for commuting. It passes through the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains before it enters the State of Georgia. While not a major highway, it is used by truckers traveling from Birmingham to Gadsen and Fort Payne. The area we are going to is mainly rural.”

“Well, that’s my geography lesson for today,” Blake commented.


	4. Chapter 3

Shortly after the plane had taken off, Garcia called in to relay the information she had received from the State Police.

As a picture of a woman in her late 20’s appeared on the screen, Garcia began. “This is Missy Lewis. Approximately, six weeks ago she left home at 6:00 in the evening to make a quick trip to the nearest convenience store. When she hadn’t returned by 9:00 her husband went searching for her. He found her car parked at the store, at the far end of the parking lot. Her purse, car keys, and cell phone were still in it. When he couldn’t find her, he called the State Police. The call came in around 10:00 p.m.”

“It took him three hours to realize she was missing?” Blake interrupted.

“Apparently, this is a small community where everyone knows everyone else,” Garcia responded. “He just thought she had run into a friend and got sidetracked. I am sending a copy of the police report to your tablets.”

“Her body was found four days later. Coroner estimates she had been dead about 12 hours. As you can see from the pictures, which I am sending you and which I refuse to look at, she had been brutalized and tortured, and all sorts of bad things. Discuss it between yourselves!”

A second picture appeared on the computer screen. This time it was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties. Where Missy had long brunette hair, this woman had light colored hair, which had been cut short. 

“This is Mary Sue Jameson,” Garcia told them. “She apparently ran into town, Gadsen that is, to make a quick trip to the library. The note she left on the kitchen table said she’d be back in time to fix dinner. She never arrived at the library, although her car was found in the city parking lot about a block away. Again, purse, keys, and cell phone were all accounted for.”

“This was ??” Morgan inquired.

Garcia checked her papers. “Approximately four weeks ago,” she replied. “Again, I am sending a copy of all paperwork to you.”

“The body was found?” Rossi asked.

Again, four days later. This time, she had only been dead about 8 hours. And, again, I don’t want to talk about what was done to her.”

“I assume there is more?” Morgan hated to ask.

“Unfortunately, these weirdoes never stop,” Garcia told him as she put up another picture. This time it was an African American woman in her mid-fifties. “Loubelle Jackson,” Garcia introduced her. “She was on her way to pick her daughter up from work. She left her house at her regular time, but never arrived at her daughter’s workplace. Her car was found parked next to the road about three miles from her daughter’s place of employment. Purse, keys, and cell phone were all there. Her body was found, again, four days later. She had been dead about 10 hours. And, again, the mutilation was extensive.” 

“All of them were taken during short road trips. Were they traveling along the same roads?” JJ inquired. 

“No, all of them were driving on different roads, headed in different directions,” Garcia told them. “However, all of the abductions were within five miles of I-59.”

“Now, this morning, another woman has disappeared while taking a car trip.” A picture came on the screen showing a young woman in her early 20’s with long, light brown hair. “This is Sue Ann Harris. She left the house as usual this morning, on her way to classes at the local community college. She never arrived. Local police have been unable to locate any witnesses who saw her on her way to the school. Her car was found parked at an isolated strip mall not far from the school. Her textbooks were on the front seat along with her purse, and cell phone. Her keys were still in the ignition.” 

“All four were low risk victims who were abducted while driving,” Blake started the review. “Is there any indication that their cars were part of whatever ruse the unsub is using?

“As far as I can tell from the reports, there is no damage to any of the vehicles,” Garcia reported. “They are probably still in the impound lot so you can check for yourselves.”

“Toxicology screenings are negative, and cause of death is asphyxiation,” Rossi observed, reading his tablet. “It appears that at some point he killed them outright after having first mutilated them.”

“This guy seems to be pretty controlled,” Reid observed. “The women were abducted two weeks apart, held for four days, and then killed and dumped. Sounds like a pretty repressed personality.”

“He is definitely organized,” Hotch commented. “That will make him more difficult to catch. We’ll have to hope he makes a mistake.”

“Garcia, is this right?” JJ asked, still looking at her tablet. “It says here that none of the women had been given any food or water but they all had laxatives and diuretics in their system.”

“It also says there was no sexual assault,” Morgan added.

“That’s exactly right,” Garcia replied. “Apparently, sex isn’t his thing and neither is theft.” 

“The physical abuse seems to start soon after he gets them,” Hotch commented. We’re going to have to move fast if we hope to get his latest victim back alive.”


	5. Chapter 4

When the team jet landed northeast of Birmingham, they were met by a Detective from the Alabama State Police. 

“Detective Addams,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand. “Thanks for getting here so quickly.”

“SSA Aaron Hotchner, we spoke on the phone,” Hotch introduced himself as he shook hands. “These are Agents Rossi, Jareau, Morgan, and Blake. That is Dr. Reid.” He pointed out each individual team member .

“We understand the need to move quickly if we are going to get Ms. Harris back alive,” he continued. 

“Is there any news?” Morgan wanted to know.

“Nothing,” Detective Addams said. “But we have got all the manpower we can round up out looking for her. If you’ll pick up your vehicles and follow me, I’ll show you where we have set up our command post. You can make yourselves at home and work from there.”

“Actually, I would like to send several of my agents to look at the scene of the latest abduction,” Hotch told him. “Do you have someone who could take them?”

“No problem,” Detective Addams replied, pulling out his cell phone. “Let me get someone over here.”

“Morgan and Reid, you go out to the latest abduction site. See what you can find,“ Hotch began assigning duties. “Rossi, you and Blake go talk to the coroner. See what they can tell you about the mutilations and the cause of death. JJ and I will get set up at the command post. Everyone keep in touch with me and with Garcia. Remember, speed is of the essence if we want to get Ms. Harris back alive.”


	6. Chapter 5

A young female officer, who introduced herself as Officer Conrad, quickly showed up in her patrol car and drove Morgan and Reid to the isolated strip mall where Sue Ann had been abducted and her car found. Lab techs were still examining the scene and several of them waved to the officer as she drove in.

“We think she stopped right about here,” Officer Conrad pointed to a spot near the center of the lot. “There is some oil leaked onto the pavement that matches that found under her car. Also, some scuff marks, like she may have been dragged.”

“The car was found?” Morgan asked.

“Over there,” the officer pointed to the far end of the strip mall. “On the far side of the trash bin. That’s why no one noticed it sooner.”

“How well traveled is this road?” Reid inquired.

“During the night, it’s not well traveled at all,” the officer told them. “The real traffic starts at about 7:30 a.m. Mostly students on their way to 8:00 a.m. classes. The community college is just up there.” She pointed.

“So, someone who knew the area would be able to time the abduction,” Reid continued. “It would be close, but it could be done.”

Morgan was walking along the side of the road. “Something turned around here,” he commented, pointing at the gravel. “A lot of dirt and gravel has been disrupted. Did any of these stores get deliveries this morning?”

“Not that we found,” the officer told them. “We are still waiting to hear from an auto repair shop about 2 miles down the road. It’s possible that a truck missed the turn into there and had to turn around down here.”

“Okay. So, we have a dark road that is lightly traveled until about daylight. Then, there is traffic for about fourteen hours, until evening classes are over, and then it goes dead again,” Morgan outlined. “Sounds like someone who knows the area.”

“Are we far from where the previous victim’s car was found?” Reid asked. “We might be able to verify our hypothesis from that location.”

“I can take you,” the officer volunteered. “Just let me call in.”

As they waited for their ride, Morgan and Reid continued to comb the area. As they walked through the field adjacent to the area where the car had been found, Reid’s phone rang. He looked at the screen and quickly moved out of Morgan’s hearing range. Morgan smiled to himself.


	7. Chapter 6

As they rode through the fall countryside to the location where Loubelle Jackson’s car had been found, Morgan turned to Reid, who was sitting in the back seat, and smiled.

“And, how is Miss Heather this morning?” he asked.

“W – w - what?” Reid stuttered.

“That phone call you took. That’s who it was, wasn’t it?” Morgan sounded smug, as if he already knew the answer.

“I know all about your Miss Heather,” he continued.

“Christina – It’s Christina. Although sometimes she goes by Christy or Tina,” Reid quickly corrected him. “And, can we just concentrate on this crime and worry about getting Ms. Harris back?” 

“Okay, man, if that’s the way you want to play it,” Morgan agreed.

Again, the abduction site proved to be on a two-lane asphalt road running through a rural area with very little evidence of traffic. 

“As I understand it,” Officer Conrad said, pointing, “Her car was found over there.”

Morgan had called up the crime scene photos and was comparing them to the actual site. “That looks to be about right,” he agreed. “And, it appears the car was going in that direction,” he pointed.

“She was picking her daughter up from work?” Reid asked. “Where would that be?”

“There is a small machine shop down there,” the officer told him. “In the same direction her car was pointed. Family owned. Been there for years. They do specialty work that mostly ships out by overnight express freight.”

“So, there would be no reason for a large truck to be in this area?” Morgan asked. He had walked further down the road and was brushing away the brightly colored fall leaves to get a closer look at the shoulder of the road.

“Not that I know of,” Officer Conrad replied.

“Well, it looks like one was here.” Morgan began taking pictures with his phone. “It appears that the weeds next to the road here were disturbed. We’ll need to compare this to the gravel displacement we found at the last crime scene, but it seems to be the same size vehicle,” he commented. 

“Are the other two abduction sites like this one?” Reid asked.

“Basically, yes,” she told him. “They were on secondary roads that have a moderate amount of traffic during the day, but not a lot in the evenings.”

“And, the dump sites where the bodies were found?” Morgan asked. 

“The same way,” she confirmed. 

“All that seems to indicate that the unsub is a local,” Reid theorized. “He’s comfortable traveling in the dark on secondary roads, and is familiar with their traffic patterns.”

“Okay, let’s head over to your command post,” Morgan said. “I think we have seen everything we need to see.”


	8. Chapter 7

At the coroner’s office, Rossi and Blake were examining Loubelle Jackson’s body as it lay on the table. The coroner, dressed in his white lab coat, was standing nearby, holding his records.

“So, the mutilation started while the victim was alive?” Blake asked.

“Yes, poor lady,” the coroner told them. “Just when you think you have seen and heard it all, some sicko comes along with something worse.”

“Can you give us some idea of exactly what was done?” Rossi said, accepting the file from the coroner.

“The first thing I found was around the nose and mouth,” the coroner began. “There were traces of capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. I would guess a 1% to 2% solution.”

“Bear spray?” Blake asked, surprised. “That’s designed to subdue a very large mammal. It would have affected her eyes, nose, and lungs.”

“And, it definitely would have subdued her,” Rossi commented. “She is not a large person.”

“You examined the other two victims?” Blake asked.

“Yes, and I found the same thing on both of them,” the coroner confirmed.

Rossi picked up Loubelle’s hand. “She was restrained,” he observed, noting the bruising on her wrist. “What about her ankles?”

“Those as well,” the coroner told him. “Also, as you have probably seen in the report, although she wasn’t given any food or water for the entire four days she was fed laxatives and diuretics during that time.”

“And, then there is the mutilation,” the coroner didn’t seem anxious to discuss the major injuries.

“What exactly did that involve?” Blake wanted to hear the details directly from the coroner.

“There had been a topical cream applied to her abdomen,” the coroner began. “It contained about 10% Benzocaine and 5% Lidocane. 

Rossi looked puzzled. “That would be?” he asked.

“A mild numbing solution,” the coroner told him. “Commonly used in tattoo parlors. Easily available on-line. And, yes, I did find the same on the other two victims, although not as much on the first as on the second. This particular victim had even more applied.”

“Well, there appears to have been a learning curve,” Blake commented dryly. “Although, I don’t think a topical anesthetic would have helped any of these women once he started cutting.”

“There were two horizontal cuts joined by a vertical cut?” Rossi was reading the reports. 

“That’s right,” the coroner confirmed. “One horizontal cut directly under the breasts and the other through the pubic area.”

“And, they went how deep?” Blake hated to ask.

“Eventually, deep enough to expose the internal organs,” the coroner told her. “And, although the organs showed signs of having been disturbed, none of them had been removed.”

“Were the other two victims treated the same way?” Rossi inquired.

“Oh, yes. However, the first victim’s incisions showed signs of being constantly enlarged and improved. While the second one seemed to have much less hesitation, much less experimentation, if you will. With this third victim, whoever this sicko is he seems to have finally developed his technique.”

“Okay,” Blake grimaced as she looked at the file. “We need to develop a timeline, if you will, of approximately when each step of this ‘procedure’ was performed.


	9. Chapter 8

With Hotch driving, he and JJ followed Detective Addams to the command center the state police had set up at the local recreation center.

“We though it best to be close to the case,” Detective Addams explained as he led the way into the building. “This has a conference room for our officers’ use, as well as a room for your team to set up.”

“Detective Addams,” a sheriff’s deputy walked over and greeted him. 

“Deputy Kelly,” the detective replied. “These are the people from the FBI I told you about.”

“Glad you could make it,” Deputy Kelly told Hotch and JJ, shaking hands. “We’ve never dealt with anything like this before and really don’t know where to start looking. Do you people see a lot of this type of thing?”

“Much more than we would like,” JJ told him.

“We’ll start with concentrating on locating Ms. Harris and getting her back alive,” Hotch explained. “After that, everything else should just fall into place.”

“You have a place for us to set up?” JJ inquired.

“Right this way,” Deputy Kelly said. “We have a room reserved for your use. Your Ms. Garcia told us what you would need. If you need anything else, just let us know.”

He led the way into a small conference room, which had been equipped with some whiteboards, library tables, and chairs. A detailed map of the area had been posted on one of the boards, and office supplies were sitting on the table.

“The coffee pot is just outside,” the deputy told them, pointing at the doorway. “Also, tea bags and hot water. I suspect you are going to need a lot of that.”

Hotch turned to him. “You’ve been to the abduction sites?” he asked.

“And the dumpsites,” the deputy affirmed. “It’s just plain weird.”

“How’s that?”

“It seems like he’s trying to show off,” was the reply. “I can’t put my finger on anything specific, but there is definitely a ‘look at me’ feel to the dumpsites.”

“Interesting,” JJ said as she exchanged a glance with Hotch. “Why don’t you review the dumpsite pictures with me later? Maybe I can help you put your feeling into perspective.”

“In the meantime,” Hotch told Detective Addams, “I’d like to review with you what you and your officers have already done and who they have spoken with. It is very likely you have already seen or spoken with this unsub and just didn’t realize it.”

Hotch noticed that the detective’s focus had been diverted to the doorway. He turned to see what was had attracted his attention.

A young lady had walked into the room. She had long medium brown hair and, although she was conservatively dressed in tailored trousers and fitted shirt, there was no doubt that she had a curvaceous figure accentuated by extremely long legs. 

She smiled at the group. “Detective Addams,” she singled him out as she walked over.

“Ms. Greenberg,” he greeted her. “You know you aren’t supposed to be in here.”

“I know,” she replied. “I just thought I should let you know that your officer outside let me walk in just now with no questions asked. You may want to talk to him. You know the students will be arriving here shortly and if I could get in that easily I hate to think of what they could do.”

“Thanks,” Detective Addams told her. He turned to Hotch. “This is Ms. Amy Greenberg. She organized and runs an after-school tutoring program that uses several rooms at the other end of this building. She actually teaches Biology at our local consolidated high school.”

“Did you know Miss Harris?” Hotch asked.

“No,” Amy told him. “I teach Biology 1 and only started three years ago. She had already passed that class when I got here. I did, however, know who she was and I can tell you for certain that she wasn’t a trouble maker. Those are the students a teacher quickly gets acquainted with!”

“Who would have known her?” Hotch wanted to know.

“You might want to try her Government teacher or, better yet, her Senior English teacher. The English class involves a lot of free discussion. If she was going to open up about a problem, it would have been in that class.”

“Do you know who she was friends with?” JJ asked. 

“Not really, sorry,” Amy replied. “You will probably need to speak with her parents about that.”

“Her parents are on their way in,” Deputy Kelly told them. “I’ve made arrangements for them to be put in the Building Manager’s office when they arrive.”

“Well, I had best be on my way,” Amy told them. “The students should be arriving shortly. Before I go, though, is there any standard response you would like me to give the parents when they drop their kids off? You know they are going to be asking.”

Detective Addams looked at Hotch. “What ? ?“

“Tell them that the local authorities are on the case and that everything is under control. If they think they know anything that might be of value, have them call the 800 tip hotline,” JJ told her.

“Sounds good to me,” the detective agreed.

“You’ve got it!” Amy turned to go and collided with Morgan who, along with Reid, had just walked into the room.

“Oh my gosh! Did I hurt you?” she exclaimed.

“Ma’ma, I doubt if you could hurt me if you ran into me with battering ram,” Morgan smiled at her discomfort.

“Well, the next time I have a battering ram in my possession, I’ll have to check that out,” Amy replied flirtatiously.

Morgan held out his hand. “SSA Derek Morgan, FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit,” he introduced himself. “And, this is – “ He turned and noticed that Reid was missing.

“Your serious-looking friend went over to help with the board,” Amy told him, turning to look. “The one with all the icky pictures that I would rather not see on it.”

“You know, you sound just like a friend of mine,” Morgan told her, thinking of Penelope.

“Well, as I always say, just because I teach about the human body doesn’t mean I want to actually mess around inside one,” Amy smiled at him while she shook his hand.

“If you’re a teacher, I just might want to go back to school. What do you teach?” Morgan was getting warmed up.

“Biology 1, which I think you probably already know all about. Tell me, SSA Derek Morgan, are you always so shy around girls?”

“Only the pretty ones,” Morgan gave her his patented megawatt smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Amy replied. “But, duty calls and I have to be going.” She headed for the door.

“Your name? Just in case I want to enroll in your class,” Morgan called after her.

“Amy Greenberg,” she called over her shoulder.


	10. Chapter 9

Rossi and Blake arrived at the recreation center shortly afterward and came directly to the conference room.

“We had an interesting conversation with the coroner,” Rossi began. 

“It seems all three victims were subdued in the same way,” Blake told them. “Bear spray.”

“Bear spray?” JJ asked.

“Easily available both in stores and on-line,” Reid told her. “And, in this part of the country no one would ever question it.”

“What else?” Hotch wanted to know.

“The unsub apparently is on a learning curve,” Rossi reported. “His first victim’s incisions showed signs of hesitation and repeated deepening and enlarging. The second victim’s incisions were more defined, and the third victim, let’s just say the mutilations reflected his increased confidence.”

“And, he is using a topical numbing cream,” Blake told them. “In increasing amounts on his victims. Although, I doubt if it is doing them much good.”

“Numbing cream?” Reid questioned. “That might mean that he does have some concern for his victims, and maybe he just can’t control himself.”

“A split personality?” JJ asked.

“I don’t think anything that extreme,” Reid told her. “But, he is evolving at a much slower pace than one would expect.”

“We had the coroner give us a timeline starting when each victim was abducted, covering what was done to them, and ending with their death,” Blake told them.

Deputy Kelly spoke up. “This torture went on for approximately four days,” he observed. “And then he finally put his victims out of their misery. Who could do something like that?”

“That’s what we need to find out,” Hotch told him.


	11. Chapter 10

The BAU team, along with Detective Addams, and Deputy Kelly, were all seated around one of the library tables looking the pictures and notes JJ and Reid had put up on the whiteboards

“We need to take a look at your timeline,” Hotch told Rossi and Blake. “And, then we need to go over victimology and see if there is anything we missed.”

“Okay, timeline,” Rossi started. “He abducts these women, using bear spray to subdue them. Puts them into a fairly large vehicle, and transports them to a location he has already set up. Most likely someplace isolated where no one can hear them, and then he restrains them. According to the coroner, at this point they were probably in a sitting position.”

“He doesn’t give them food or water for approximately three days and then, sometime during the fourth day, forces them to swallow laxatives and diuretics,” Blake continued. “None of these women were very large, so force feeding them would have been easy. Also, since they hadn’t had any food or water, they may have taken the medications just to get the water.”

“Just a minute,” JJ interrupted “When an animal is taken to the slaughterhouse, aren’t they denied any food or water prior to slaughter?”

“That’s right,” Morgan told her. “Among other things, it helps prevent fecal contamination of the meat that is subsequently processed.”

“So, this unsub works or has worked in a slaughterhouse?” Detective Addams asked. “I don’t think there are any around here.”

“There aren’t,” Deputy Kelly responded. “But, some of the farmers in this area do raise and slaughter their own animals. That’s where he may have learned how to do this.”

“Most serial killers do start with animals,” Alex explained. “It’s considered the bottom level of the homicidal triad.”

“How many farmers in this area may be slaughtering their own meat?” Hotch asked. 

“A lot,” Deputy Kelly replied. “We really have no way of knowing what happens on private property or for personal consumption.”

“However, we also need to take into consideration the fact that prior to surgery patients are also instructed not to eat and, if there is extensive abdominal surgery planned, they are subjected to a bowel cleansing regimen,” Reid contributed. 

“Okay – So now this guy thinks he’s a surgeon?” Detective Addams asked.

“Well, that does seem to be another possibility,” Hotch noted.

“On the fourth day, he finally gets down to business,” Rossi grimaced as he continued. “He lays them out flat on their backs, restrains them, and, after applying the topical numbing cream, begins opening them up. Two horizontal incisions joined by a vertical incision. He then opens the flaps and – whatever. None of the internal organs are missing. Apparently, somewhere along here he gets bored and/or fed up and suffocates the victim.”

“Okay, we know what he does,” Morgan interrupted him. “But, how does he choose his victims? How did Ms. Harris attract his attention?”

“And, what was the trigger that suddenly brought on this behavior?” JJ asked.

Hotch turned the laptop computer screen towards the room and brought up the Skype program. “Garcia,” he called out. “What have you found out about the victims?”


	12. Chapter 11

“Greetings to all and welcome to the Penelope Garcia Show,” Garcia announced, waving a pink and purple feathered pen in the air. “You asked me to look into the backgrounds of all four victims, and I have to report that the only thing they seem to have in common is that they all live, work, and go to school along the same stretch of I-59.”

“What exactly did you find out?” Blake asked. 

“Okay, let’s start with Missy Lewis,” Garcia said. “Married for the second time. She is from the area originally and was working as an Accountant doing the books for several small businesses in the area. I can’t find anything at any of the businesses that would attract undue attention. Her two children attend the local elementary school and they seem to be doing well. There don’t appear to be any problems with either her current husband or her previous one.”

“Okay,” JJ said. “That seems to be pretty straightforward. Next –“

“Mary Sue Jameson – Stay at home mom,” Garcia told her. “She is married with three children, one in middle school and two in elementary. She volunteers at the local library and at her kids’ schools. No problems that I can find with the neighbors or with her husband. Just a normal, everyday housewife with her family.”

“That’s rather disconcerting,” Rossi commented. “It doesn’t say much for the future of housewives.”

“What about Loubelle Jackson?” Hotch asked.

“Loubelle Jackson, apparently another innocent bystander,” Garcia told them. “She owns and runs a licensed day care center located in her home. Meets or surpasses all local and state regulations and, as far as I can tell, has had no problems with any of the parents whose children she cares for. Has been divorced for many years and any problems with her ex-husband are well in the past. She has one grown daughter who lives at home and works at a small machine shop. She was on her way to pick up said daughter when she was abducted.”

“That brings us to the latest victim,” Morgan said. 

“Sue Ann Harris,” Garcia continued her report. “Graduated from the local consolidated high school last year and was attending community college while working part time. No boyfriend in the picture that I can discover. And, as with the other women, no trouble with the law.”

“Is there any place at all where they would have crossed paths?” Reid asked. 

“Not that I can find,” Garcia told him. “They attended school at different times, and were members of different churches. None of them appears to have been joiners, as far as civic groups are concerned. They may have driven over the same roads or shopped at the same stores, but probably not at the same time.”

“That doesn’t give us much,” JJ observed.

“I know, but rest assured I will keep digging,” Garcia promised. “If there is anything to find, I will find it! Over and out!” The screen went blank.

“Okay, there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the victims,” Hotch conceded. “Let’s try going over what we do know about the unsub.”

“He has no preference as far as age, race, or general appearance,” Morgan began.

“Theft definitely isn’t an issue,” was Reid’s observation. “In the State of Alabama there were 111,411 cases of personal theft last year and 10,662 vehicles stolen. From what we can tell, he isn’t contributing to these statistics.”

“It would appear that sexual gratification isn’t a component,” Rossi said. “It may mean that he is impotent and actually gets his satisfaction from the act of dissecting the bodies.”

“Dissecting?” Blake questioned. “This does resemble work done in a Biology lab. Could this be someone who, for whatever reason, is just interested in examining the bodies?”

“Like a student of some sort,” Morgan concluded.

“Okay,” Hotch announced, turning to Detective Addams and Deputy Kelly. “Get your people together. I think we are ready to give the profile.”


	13. Chapter 12

Officers from both the Alabama State Police and the Sheriff’s office were soon seated in the main conference room with the BAU team standing at the front of the room. Hotch began the presentation.

“The person we are looking for is mostly likely a male between the ages of 18 and 25,” he began. “This man is a local who has lived here all his life, and probably at least part of that time was spent on a farm. While physically fit, he doesn’t necessarily work at it.”

“He is not someone you would pick out of a crowd,” Morgan continued. “In fact, he might be someone you see everyday and just don’t notice.”

“He is very controlled,” Blake continued. “He sticks to a regular schedule and is so set in his ways that, if he goes to a restaurant, he will order the same meal every time.”

“He rarely speaks to people he knows, let along strangers,” Reid stepped in. “Because of this, most people will consider him to be of lower intelligence when, in fact, his IQ is probably slightly above average.”

“He has his own transportation,” JJ contributed. “Most likely this will be a fairly large vehicle, like a van or SUV, which he uses to transport his victims from the abduction site. While it may be an older vehicle, it will be in excellent condition.”

“He knows traffic patterns in the area and can pinpoint isolated areas of roadways,” Rossi told them. “He also has intimate knowledge of isolated buildings in this area and probably has appropriated one of them for his personal use.”

“If you locate this person, do not confront them outright,” Hotch warned the officers. “In all likelihood Ms. Harris is still alive, and we need him to tell us where he has her hidden.”

“Any questions?”


	14. Chapter 13

After all the questions had been handled and the officers were dispersing, a woman wearing the uniform of a State Police Officer entered the conference room and walked up to Detective Addams. 

“Sue Ann Harris’ parents are here,” she told him. “I put them in the Building Manager’s office, as you requested.

“Thanks, May,” the detective replied. He turned to the BAU team. “I suspect one of you is planning on speaking with them.”

Hotch turned to JJ. “Could you handle this?”

“Of course! If you could show me the way?” JJ followed May out of the conference room and down the hall.

When JJ entered the Building Manager’s office, she found two men and a woman seated in guest chairs in front of a desk. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris?” she asked.

One of the men looked up. She noticed that his eyes held a tired expression and it was obvious he was extremely upset. “I’m George Harris,” he told her. Indicating the weeping woman sitting to his left, he added, “And, this is my wife, Laura. We’re Sue Ann’s parents.”

The other man stood up and held out his hand to JJ. “Pastor Wilson, of the All Congregations Church,” he introduced himself. “The Harris family is part of my flock and I’m here to support them in their time of trouble.”

JJ shook his hand and motioned for him to resume his seat. She pulled the desk chair around and sat facing the small group.

“I’m JJ Jareau of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit,” she began. “And, I’d like to thank you for coming in. I know this is going to be hard on you, but there are some questions I need to ask about Sue Ann.”

“Anything we can do to help,” Pastor Wilson replied. “Anything.”

“First of all, I need to know something about your daughter,” JJ said, focusing on the parents. “What kind of girl is she? What is she studying in school? Who are her friends? What are her interests?”

Both parents looked at her blankly.

“I understand she is still living at home,” JJ suggested a starting point.

“Yes, she is still at home. Working while she goes to school,” Mrs. Harris agreed. “She’s getting her credits to transfer to a four year school. She has changed her major several times, but currently it is business.”

“Shouldn’t have been wasting her time going to school,” Mr. Harris muttered. “Should have been getting married. This going to school is what got her killed.”

“Now, Mr. Harris, we don’t know that your daughter is dead,” JJ gently pointed out. “At the moment we every reason to believe she is still alive.”

“Everyone has an obligation to use the gifts they are given to the best of their ability,” Pastor Wilson added.

“Now, I have to ask, does she have a boyfriend?” JJ continued.

“No,” Mrs. Harris replied. “She has dated several young men, but never anyone seriously.”

“Too picky,” her father commented.

“What about her friends? What are they like?” JJ was trying to get a picture of the latest abductee.

“Most of her friends went away to college,” Mrs. Harris told her. “There were two or three girls that stayed in the area and she still sees them. Most of them are in classes with her, and one works with her.”

“Where is she working?” JJ asked.

“The truck stop out on I-59,” Mr. Harris told her. “It’s a family run restaurant and she works with the owner and his wife.”

“Good Christian people,” Pastor Wilson told her. “They keep a close eye on their employees and make sure they are taken care of.”


	15. Chapter 14

In the conference room, Reid was working on the geological profile. However, all the variously colored pins were outlining the route of I-59.

“Let me guess,” Blake was watching as he marked the map. “This unsub has a very long, narrow comfort zone which appears to follow I-59.”

“That seems to be the case,” Reid was studying the map. “My guess is that he lives or works very close to the highway.”

“How about working **on** the highway?” Rossi asked. “Trucks and other vehicles travel back and forth on a regular basis all the time.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Morgan agreed. “However, where is he meeting or targeting his victims? There has to be a place where people stop. A rest area maybe?”

“What about a truck stop?” JJ walked into the room. “It seems that Sue Ann Harris is working part-time in the restaurant at a truck stop along I-59. It’s not too far from here. According to her family’s minister, it is a family owned and run operation, but that doesn’t mean the unsub couldn’t have targeted her there and followed her without anyone noticing.”

“This unsub definitely isn’t a stalker,” Reid observed. “Stalkers tend to make some sort of contact with the object of their affection. As far as we know, this unsub has never make contact with any of these women.”

“And, a stalker would only target one person at a time,” Hotch observed. “We need to find out what about these women attracts this unsub.”

“Sounds to me like we need to make a trip to the truck stop,” Rossi proposed. “Who’s coming with me?”

Hotch glanced around the room. “Blake, why don’t you go with Rossi?” he suggested. “JJ, I need you to go over what you learned from the parents. Maybe we can find something in that information.”


	16. Chapter 15

Rossi and Blake got directions from Deputy Kelly and set out for the truck stop. “It’s called Johnson’s,” the deputy told them. “After the family that owns it. And, they serve a mean po’ boy sandwich. A lot of the officers stop there when they are in the area.”

As Rossi pulled the FBI’s SUV into the parking lot, they noticed several 18-wheelers parked at the back of the lot. The remainder of the lot was full of passenger cars and SUVs.

“Popular place,” Blake commented, getting out of their vehicle.

“Families as well as truckers,” Rossi observed as they walked across the asphalt lot towards the door.

Once inside the truck stop they headed toward the restaurant area and stopped at the cash register.

“Seat yourselves, folks,” the middle-aged woman who was standing there told them. “Your waitress will be right over.”

Rossi discretely showed her his badge.

“FBI?” her eyes widened. “What in heavens name are you looking for **here**?”

“Nothing to do with you, Betty,” Blake replied, reading her nametag. “We are looking for someone who knows the highway around here. Also, some of the main access roads.”

“This is about Sue Ann Harris and those other women, isn’t it?” Betty asked. “When she didn’t show up for work today, I called her house. Her parents told me what had happened. It’s awful!”

“What can you tell us about Sue Ann?” Rossi followed up on her comment.

“Nice girl,” Betty told them. “Dependable, hard-working, didn’t waste time chasing men. Not like some of the girls I have had working here.”

“If she didn’t chase men, did any of the men chase her?” Blake asked. “She is a relatively attractive young woman.”

“Some of the truckers did try,” Betty admitted. “But, she had a way of putting them off without hurting their feelings, if you know what I mean. You can never be too careful. Besides, for all you know, these guys might very well have a wife and three kids back home.”

“Did anyone ever not want to take ‘No’ for an answer?” Blake followed up.

“Not that I ever saw,” Betty replied. “And, I keep an eye out for my girls, you can be sure of that.”

“It sounds like you are a great person to work for,” Rossi complimented her. “What about the other women – Did you know any of them?”

“They probably came in here at one time or another, most of the local people do,” Betty told him. “Mary Sue is the only one I remember. That’s because she, her husband and kids usually came in on Sunday, after church.”

“Okay, that’s a start,” Rossi said thoughtfully. “Now, back to finding someone who can tell us about the highway?”

Betty studied him carefully. “Okay, but you have to realize these guys might not want to open up to a stranger,” she warned him. “Try that table down there, third on the left. Those guys drive the road through here at least twice a week.”

“Thanks!”


	17. Chapter 16

Rossi and Blake walked over to the table Betty had pointed out.

“Hello,” Rossi greeted the three truckers. “David Rossi, FBI.” He showed his credentials.

“Alex Blake,” Blake spoke up and showed her credentials.

“If you don’t mind, we have some questions for you,” Rossi continued.

One of the men looked up at Rossi. “Fancy cops!” he commented.

“The fanciest,” Rossi agreed.

“And you think **we** can help you?” a second man asked, sarcastically.

“We certainly hope so,” Blake told him. “We’re looking for someone who is familiar with this stretch of I-59.”

“And, why would you want that?” the third man asked.

“Recently some women from around here have disappeared and later turned up dead,” Rossi explained to the truckers. “All of them had been extensively tortured prior to their death. We think you might be able to help find who killed them.”

“Wasn’t me,” the second trucker drawled lazily.

“Listen,” Rossi told him in a barely controlled voice. “These women have all been brutally murdered. Next time, it could be your wife, or your sister, or your daughter. Do you want to take that chance, or do you want to see if you can help us catch this guy?”

“What do you need?” the first trucker was now paying close attention.

“We need to know if you have noticed something different or unusual along this stretch of highway recently,” Blake told him. “It might be something minor, like skid marks running off the road where there was nothing to stop for.”

“Or major,” Rossi added. “Like a strange 18-wheeler somewhere where it had no business being.”

“Well, there have been a lot of strange 18-wheelers in the area lately,” the third trucker told him. “A bunch of tornados came through here about two months ago. Did a lot of damage. Trucks have been bringing in building supplies and new stock for the stores so they can open again for business.”

“Do any of these trucks come in and drop their trailers?” Rossi glanced over at Blake. “So that just the cab leaves?”

“That’s right,” the first trucker told him. “Sometimes the construction crew or the store owner uses the trailer for storage. When they have it emptied out, the driver brings the cab back and picks up the empty unit.”

“That might account for the tracks Morgan saw at the abduction sites,” Rossi commented to Blake. “A cab by itself would be able to get down the smaller roads and would have plenty of room for concealing the incapacitated victim.”

“We have a rough description of the man who is doing this,” Blake decided to introduce the topic. “He is probably between the ages of 18 and 25, and doesn’t do anything to call attention to himself. He is quiet to the point where you wonder if he is capable of speaking. You could see him every day, and probably wouldn’t realize it.”

“He most likely is originally from this area,” Rossi continued. “And, he is very controlled. Any change to his established schedule will upset him.”

The three truckers looked at each other.

“That doesn’t sound like anyone we know,” the second driver told the agents.

“Okay, thanks, guys!” Blake said as Rossi put several of his business cards on the table.

“If you think of anything, give me a call,” he told them as he and Blake turned to leave.

“You can count on it,” the first trucker told them as the other two nodded in agreement.

As the agents walked past the cash register, Rossi handed Betty another of his cards. “Just in case you hear anything you think might help us,” he told her.

Betty smiled and handed them two to go cups of coffee and a bakery bag.

“What?” Rossi looked at her.

“We’re famous for our brownies,” she told him. “My mother’s recipe, you know.

Her eyes started to tear-up, “Just get Sue Ann back safely,” she said. “Get that son of a bitch good!!!”


	18. Chapter 17

In the conference room, Hotch, Reid, and Morgan were seated at a table with JJ as she updated them on what she had found out from Sue Ann’s parents and pastor. 

“So, our initial assessment was correct,” she concluded. “Sue Ann is a low risk individual who isn’t inclined to take chances. She definitely would not have offered a ride to a stranger or voluntarily gotten into a stranger’s car.”

“I keep thinking about something Blake said,” Morgan told them, thinking out loud. “About dissecting, like a student in a biology class.”

“High school students rarely dissect anymore,” Reid told him authoritatively. “The cost of obtaining specimens got prohibitively high, and many people think the students can get the same experience by using a specialized computer program.”

“Maybe this is one student who wants the real thing,” Morgan continued his thoughts. “Where did Deputy Kelly say the after school tutoring is being held? Maybe Ms. Greenburg can give us some ideas.”

“Are you sure you just don’t want another chance to talk with Ms. Greenburg?” JJ arched an eyebrow at him.

“JJ, would I behave so unprofessionally in the middle of an investigation?” Morgan demanded.

JJ and Reid exchanged glances. “Not exactly ‘unprofessionally’ - ,” Reid began his assessment.

“Let me go with you,” Hotch interrupted. “I’d like to talk with some of the people from this area. Maybe get an idea of what they think about these crimes. Hopefully, we can locate someone who knew one of the other victims.”

After getting directions from one of the deputies in the outer conference room, Hotch and Morgan, proceeded down the hallway and turned left at the end.

JJ turned to Reid as they remained sitting at the table. “So, Spence, how was the lecture?” she asked.

“Lecture?” Reid had been concentrating on the crime scene information in the folder in front of him.

“Lecture,” JJ repeated firmly. “The one you attended with Miss – Christina – isn’t it?”

“Christina, although sometimes she goes by Christy or Tina,” Reid confirmed, as he looked up. “And, it was just fine. Why is everyone so interested?”

“Because she seems like a nice person,” JJ smiled at him. “And, because I like her and would like to see her again.”

“Why don’t you just call her then?” Reid asked, puzzled. “You and Garcia – All three of you can get together.”

“We just might do that,” JJ conceded. “And, what we’ll most likely do, is talk about you!”


	19. Chapter 18

When she came to Sue Ann kept her eyes tightly closed. She knew that she was sitting upright in a chair, and she could feel that her arms and legs were restrained. By the sounds and smells that surrounded her she could tell that she was somewhere in the country, but she had no idea where or even how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was inhaling some sort of spray that made it difficult to breathe. Maybe, if she kept her eyes closed, this entire experience might turn out to be a horrible dream. The sound of a truck pulling up close to the building quickly dispelled that idea.

Sue Ann opened her eyes when she heard a door open. She didn’t recognize the young man who walked into the room. He looked appraisingly at her and asked, “How long since you last ate?”

“What?” Sue Ann wasn’t sure she had heard right.

“Ate,” the man repeated. “Put something in your mouth and swallowed it. Ate.”

“Breakfast,” Sue Ann replied testily. “Who are you? And, what the heck do you want?”

“Well, that doesn’t make much of a difference,” the man replied as he moved closer to her. ‘You’re not exactly in a position to object.”

When he got close enough, Sue Ann tried to kick him. However, because her legs were secured to the chair legs, all she succeeded in doing was rattling the chair around. She tried spitting at him, but missed.

“No sense trying to escape,” the man told her as he squatted to look her in the face. “You may just as well accept the fact that you’re going to be here for a while.” He grinned at her. “You might even say you are going to be around long enough to become the teacher’s pet.” 

He got up and began systematically checking the boarded up windows in the small wooden shed.


	20. Chapter 19

Hotch and Morgan paused at the door of the improvised classroom and looked around. There were about 25 students and several adults seated at tables scattered around the converted meeting room, and the buzz of quiet discussions filled the air. Everyone appeared to be hard at work.

“There she is,” Morgan located Amy sitting at a table with a teenage boy, near the middle of the room.

Amy looked up and waved at them. After speaking to the boy and handing him a sheet of paper, she stood up and walked over to the door.

“Gentlemen,” she greeted them. 

“You certainly seem to have everything under control,” Morgan observed.

“It took a while,” Amy conceded, “But, we finally found a system that appears to work for everyone. How can I help you?”

“We have a question about students in biology classes,” Morgan began. 

“Specifically, we are interested in any who may have shown an unusual interest in dissecting,” Hotch explained.

“Dissecting?” Amy asked. “We don’t do much of that any more. Most schools, including ours, just use a computer program.”

“This student wouldn’t have been satisfied with the computer,” Hotch continued. “He would have talked about his desire to use a real specimen.”

“That description doesn’t fit anyone I have dealt with,” Amy told him. “However, you may want to talk with Mr. Blackburn. He’s the Biology teacher whose place I took when he retired.”

She turned and scanned the room. “That’s him over there,” she pointed at an older gentleman, seated at a table near the window talking with two students. “Let me see if he can take a break and come over to speak with you.”

As Amy started across the room, a man dressed in camouflage fatigues rushed into the room and over to her. At first glance, he appeared to be a disheveled and dirty teenager, but closer inspection showed him to be closer to his mid-twenties and more rumpled than dirty.

“Ms. Greenburg,” he said impatiently. “You are supposed to be working with Kyle!”

“I am, Kurt,” Amy replied in a soothing voice. “Right now he is sitting right over there completing a quiz so I can make sure he understands the material we covered today. As soon as he has finished, he’ll raise his hand and I’ll go over there and check his work.”

“Are these men bothering you?” Kurt demanded, gesturing at Hotch and Morgan.

“Not at all,” Amy reassured him. “They are from the police asking questions about Sue Ann Harris, who disappeared earlier today. Now, Kurt, why don’t you go back into the lobby and wait for Kyle to finish? It shouldn’t be too long.”

“If you are sure, Ms. Greenburg,” Kurt glared at Hotch. “I’ll be just outside in case you need me.” He left the room after giving Hotch and Morgan a glaring backward glance.

“Parent?” Morgan asked curiously.

“Protective older brother,” Amy told him. “The parents were killed in a car accident about a year ago. Their aunt and uncle actually have custody of Kyle, but Kurt keeps a close eye on him when he’s in town.”

“Now, let me get Mr. Blackburn for you.”


	21. Chapter 20

After speaking briefly with Mr. Blackburn, Amy took his place at the table and he walked over to where Hotch and Morgan were standing.

“Agents,” he said, holding out his hand. “Larry Blackburn. I understand you have some questions for me.” 

“Agents Hotchner and Morgan,” Hotch introduced himself and Derek as he shook hands with the retired teacher.

Mr. Blackburn glanced around to see if anyone could overhear their discussion. “Maybe we should go someplace else,” he suggested.

“Probably a good idea,” Hotch agreed. “Where do you suggest?”

Mr. Blackburn led the way, and the three men were soon seated in a nearby empty office. 

“Now, what can I help you with?” Mr. Blackburn asked. “I would assume it has something to do with one of my former students.”

“I am going to describe a person to you,” Hotch explained. “Let me know if it sounds like anyone you have taught over the years.”

“This description may not match exactly,” Morgan contributed. “But, if it sounds close, we need to know.”

“Understood,” Mr. Blackburn responded.

“We are looking for a student who was extremely interested in dissecting,” Hotch began. “And, they would possibly have expressed a desire to dissect a human body.”

“Is that what is being done to these women?” Mr. Blackburn jumped ahead. “That’s horrible!”

“They would have been very quiet, to the point where you might have forgotten they were in the classroom,” Hotch continued. “They probably would have come across as being ‘slow’ but, in actuality they had above average intelligence.”

“Does this description sound familiar?” Morgan asked.

“Let me think,” Mr. Blackburn got a far away look in his eyes. “Not really,” he concluded after a short time. “However, there have been several extremely quiet students with above average intelligent that I have taught over the years.”

“This would have been a male,” Morgan added.

“Yes, I remember several,” Mr. Blackburn told the agents. “Would you like me to write down the names?”

He took a pen out of his pocket as Hotch handed him a piece of paper.


	22. Chapter 21

After arriving back at the recreation center Rossi and Blake hurried through the comfortable lobby and burst into the small conference room. There they found Reid and JJ busy examining the local map and consulting with Detective Addams. Hotch and Morgan had concluded their interview with Mr. Blackburn, and followed closely behind them.

“We think we know how he is abducting these women,” Blake told the team.

“It is someone driving just the cab of an 18-wheeler,” Rossi explained. “He’s making a delivery where he drops the trailer, and then using the cab to block the road and abduct the women.”

“These are truly random abductions, then,” JJ observed. “He’s not targeting these women, he’s just grabbing whoever is unfortunate enough to drive by.”

“It certainly seems that way,” Blake told her.

“Are there construction sites near any of the abduction locations?” Reid asked Detective Addams.

“A bunch of tornados came through here about two months ago,” Deputy Kelly had walked into the room. “There are construction sites all over the area. That’s part of the reason why we asked the State Police to step up their presence.”

“We need to take another look at the abduction sites,” Hotch declared. “And, find out how close they were to any area where an 18-wheeler would have dropped a trailer.”

“Well, the most recent abduction was near the community college,” Deputy Kelly told them as he moved so he could point at the map as he spoke. “There is always construction going on there. However, the construction traffic usually comes and goes from the other direction from where Sue Ann was abducted. It’s easier to get on the highway that way.”

“Reinforcing the idea that this is a local,” Reid stated as he looked closely at the map. “Can you help me by showing where there are other construction sites in the area?”

“In the meantime, we need to locate the driver,” Morgan said as he pulled out his cell phone.

“Thank you for calling the Office of Unending Information. Just how unending would you like your information to be?” Garcia answered his call.

“Baby Girl, you’re just who I need right now,” Morgan replied. 

“Just as I need you,” Garcia told him. “Do you want to know how badly?”

“Just so you know, you are on speaker phone, Mama,” Morgan reminded her before continuing. “I need you to find a truck driver who frequently drives this stretch of I-59.”

“I need something more specific than that,” Garcia told him after pounding her keyboard for a minute. “Just off-hand, I see twenty-seven, no thirty, trucking companies that service that area.”

“Narrow that down to companies that have been making deliveries of construction materials in this area since the tornadoes hit about two months ago,” he instructed.

“That brings the list down to fifteen,” Garcia told him. “And, just so you know, that is established trucking companies, not independent drivers.”

“How about construction materials suppliers?” Rossi suggested. “They would have a list of whoever they hired to make deliveries.”

“Much better way to attack this,” Garcia agreed. “Let me try that angle.”

After more keyboarding, she announced. “Okay, I have it down to seventeen suppliers who have shipped construction materials into your area in the past two months. To get information on the particular truck drivers is going to take a little longer.”

“Okay, Garcia,” Hotch told her. “Specifically what we need is drivers who leave their trailers and then return to pick them up.”

“And, we are sending you a list,” Morgan told her. “See if any of the people on this list show up as being drivers hired by the suppliers.”

“Got cha,” Garcia told him. “You will be hearing from me shortly.” She signed off.


	23. Chapter 22

Sue Ann heard the truck drive away. Her abductor had left her alone in the shed after carefully locking the door. She could hear traffic in the distance, but realized it was too far away to hear her if she yelled. Sue Ann started rocking her chair, trying to turn it on the dirt floor so she could see other parts of the room. Maybe there was a means of escape elsewhere.

A short time later, Sue Ann had managed to turn herself around so that she was facing the back wall of the shed. What she saw there made her catch her breath and begin trembling. Sitting against the wall was a long, stainless steel table with various restraining belts hanging from it. There were high intensity, fluorescent light fixtures installed overhead, which appeared to be designed to focus light directly onto the table. To the right of the table was a rolling stainless steel cart with various metal instruments on it. Most of them looked to be quasi-medical in nature. The dirt floor in the area was a strange reddish brown color. 

As she thought about it, Sue Ann began feeling sick to her stomach, and soon she was vomiting uncontrollably.


	24. Chapter 23

“What do we do now?” Deputy Kelly asked after Morgan had concluded his call to Garcia. “Just wait to see what your techie discovers?”

“Actually, we can get a head start on that,” Reid told him. “The unsub has to have a place where is taking these women.”

“It will be isolated, but has to have access that will allow for the truck cab to get in and out,” Rossi was thinking out loud. “That means it is near a main road.”

“Let’s start with the latest abduction site,” Reid said, studying the map. “Do you know of any buildings near here (he pointed on the map), that would meet that criteria?”

“Well,” Deputy Kelly was thinking hard. “There are several abandoned farms in that area. Most of the buildings have fallen down, but some of the smaller ones might still be useable.”

“Did any of them belong to families who are still in the area?” Blake asked. “This unsub is someone who is familiar with abandoned buildings around here. If they lived there at one time or visited there as a child, that might explain it.”

Deputy Kelly took a closer look at the map. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Let me check with one of my men. He grew up around there.”

The Deputy stepped to the door of the room and called out “Latham, get in here, will you? We have a question for you.”

In short order, a tall, mostly bald man in a Sheriff’s uniform appeared at the doorway. “What’s the question?” he asked.

“You grew up around here, didn’t you?” Deputy Kelly asked, indicating the area around the college on the map.

“Yes, my folks’ place is right here,” Latham pointed within the area of interest.

“We are looking for an abandoned farm in that area,” Hotch told him. “Some place isolated where this guy could be stashing his victims. We suspect he either lived there or visited there while he was growing up, so it would have to be a place where the original family is still in the area.”

“Nothing in that area fits,” Latham told them. “However, just slightly to the east, right here, there is a place.” He pointed at the area. “The family worked the farm for several generations. However, the most recent owners were killed about a year ago in a car accident. Drunk driver.”

“Looks like a possibility,” Rossi commented. “There is a main road for access and, after only a year, most of the buildings would still be intact. Also, it’s not that far from the other abduction sites. What’s the family’s name?”

“Last name is – “Officer Latham stopped to think. “Evens, Evanston, Everly? Something like that. Let me think about it. At any rate, the older son still stays there on occasion, when he is in town. So, at least the house is still livable.”

“What does this son do for a living?” JJ asked.

“He’s a contract truck driver,” Officer Latham replied. “Works out of Birmingham mostly.”

Morgan was studying the list given them by Mr. Blackburn. “There is a Kurt Everly on this list of former students”, he told Officer Latham. “Does that sound familiar?”

“That’s it,” the officer replied.

Blake was already dialing her phone. “Garcia,” she spoke to the Tech Analyst. “Have you found anything about a Kurt Everly?”

“It is amazing the way our two minds work together,” Garcia began. 

“Garcia, this is Blake,” Blake reminded her.

“I knew that,” Garcia caught herself. “But, it is still amazing. I was getting ready to call you about that very person. I’m not done going through all my information yet, but he is the first person who showed up as an independent driver and also had his name on the list Morgan sent over.”

“What can you tell us about him?” Hotch asked.

“Nothing incriminating,” Garcia reported. “He was born and raised in that area. Has a younger brother and sister. He finished high school with above average grades, but didn’t go on to college. No problems with the law that I can find, and - before you ask - yes, I did check for sealed juvenile records. Works as an independent truck driver. About a year ago his parents were both killed in a car accident and an aunt and uncle on his mother’s side got custody of his younger brother and sister.”

“What can you tell us about that accident?” Hotch asked. “That seems to be the only outstanding event in his life so far.”

“It seems like a normal, if you consider normal to be a deadly, car crash. The driver of the other car appears to have been at fault,” Garcia told him. “I am sending a copy of the accident report to your tablets and phones, along with a picture of Kurt Everly and all of his personal information.”

“Thanks, Garcia,” JJ told the tech. “If you find anything else, will you let us know?”

“Not a problem,” Garcia agreed cheerfully before she signed off.


	25. Chapter 24

When his phone pinged, Agent Hotchner pulled it out and looked at the information Garcia had sent. He caught his breath and called out, “Morgan! Have you seen this?”

Morgan pulled out his phone and scrolled through the information until he got to the picture of Kurt Everly. “Hotch, that’s the guy who was talking to Ms. Greenburg earlier!” he exclaimed. “He was right here!”

“Who?” Deputy Kelly walked over to look at Morgan’s phone.

“Do you recognize this man?” Morgan ask, turning the phone so the deputy could see better.

“He does look familiar,” Deputy Kelly replied and then hesitated before adding, “And, I think I know why.” He raised his voice and called out, “Stevens, can you come over here?”

A short, dark haired officer quickly moved into the small conference room. “Sir?” he addressed Deputy Kelly.

“Take a look at this,” Deputy Kelly told him as Morgan held up his phone. “See if you recognize this guy.”

Officer Stevens looked at the picture. “That looks like the guy my wife saw,” he said. “I didn’t actually see him myself, but she gave me a pretty good description. Does he drive an older, white pick-up?”

JJ had her tablet out and quickly scrolled through the information. “It says here he has a ten year old white pick-up registered to his name,” she told everyone.

“Where did your wife see him?” Rossi asked.

“Hanging around next door,” Officer Stevens replied. “Our neighbor rents out an apartment over his garage. Currently, one of the local high school teachers is living there.”

“Not Amy Greenburg?” Morgan asked.

“That’s her,” the officer replied. “Nice young lady.”

“Hotch!” Morgan called out as he sprinted through the door. “I’m going to check on her.”

“What did your wife notice that made her uneasy?” JJ asked.

“Well, she saw him hanging around more than once,” the officer began. “At one point he sat in his truck out in the street for close to an hour when my wife knew Amy wasn’t home. Another time, she saw him leaving flowers outside Amy’s door. Later, Amy asked her who had left them. She hasn’t been seeing anyone and didn’t know who would leave something like that for her.”

“We’ve been looking at this all wrong,” Blake decided. “This **is** a stalker case, but the person being stalked didn’t realize it!”

“But, why is he killing these women?” Deputy Kelly asked.

“I think it relates to something Ms. Greenburg said when she first came into this room,” Reid told him. “She said that just because she teaches about the human body doesn’t mean she wants to mess around inside of one. Maybe she mentioned to Kurt that she has never seen the inside of a human body. He might have interpreted that to mean that she wanted to.”

“You mean he is doing all of this just to impress Ms. Greenburg?” Detective Addams asked, incredulously.

“Wouldn’t be the first time someone wanted to impress the teacher,” Rossi commented dryly.


	26. Chapter 25

Morgan, followed by Mr. Blackburn, quickly returned to the conference room. “Kurt left with Kyle about an hour ago,” he reported. “Apparently, Ms. Greenburg was still here at that time.”

“However, I don’t see her anywhere now,” Mr. Blackburn said. “And, her car is still in the parking lot.”

“JJ – Blake – Check the ladies room and anywhere else you can think of,” Hotch instructed them. “We need to find out if she is still in the building.”

“On it,” JJ told him as the two women headed out the door.

Mr. Blackburn was digging through his attaché. “I have a list of all the students who regularly come in for after school help,” he told them. “It has contact phone numbers. Let me check and see if Kurt has dropped Kyle off.”

“Don’t say anything to tip them off that we are looking for Kurt,” Deputy Kelly warned him. “We don’t need him taking off on us.”

“Don’t worry,” Mr. Blackburn assured him as he dialed the phone and waited.

“Hello, Mrs. Greeley,” he greeted Kurt and Kyle’s aunt. “It’s Mr. Blackburn from the after school program.”

“Just fine, Thank You,” he continued the conversation. “But I do have a question for you. Have Kurt and Kyle arrived home yet?”

“Oh, no, no problem,” he responded. “It’s just that someone left a - a jacket here and I was wondering if it belongs to Kurt.”

“He did? That is unusual. Okay, next time you talk with him check and see if it is his jacket. I’ll leave it in the Building Manager’s office. You have a good evening now.” Mr. Blackburn clicked off his phone and turned toward Hotch and Morgan.

“It seems that Kurt dropped Kyle off about half an hour ago,” he reported. “And, then he immediately left again. The aunt thinks that is strange because he usually stays for supper. He didn’t say where he was going but he seemed to be in an awful hurry.”

JJ and Blake hurried back into the conference room. “We’ve checked everywhere and she’s not here, Hotch,” JJ reported. “He must have taken her.”

“The unsub has to be Kurt!” Blake declared. “And, he has grabbed her!”


	27. Chapter 26

As she walked out of the recreation center, Amy Greenburg stopped and took a deep breath of cool fall air. It was the end of another long day, and she was anxious to get home and eat dinner. She was already mentally reviewing the contents of her refrigerator and pantry as she walked across the parking lot.

Suddenly, an older, white pick-up truck came to a stop in front of her, startling her and blocking her path. She was surprised to see who climbed out of it.

“Kurt, what are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you had already left with Kyle.

“I took Kyle home,” Kurt told her. “Then, I came back to get you.”

“Get me?” Amy was puzzled. “Kurt, I’m on my way home right now. I’m hungry and tired and it’s time for my dinner. Can this wait until tomorrow?’

“No, you need to come with me, Ms. Greenburg,” Kurt insisted. “Right now!”

“Kurt, **No**!” Amy was trying to stay calm as she looked around the parking lot. From what she could see, there wasn’t anyone else out there.

Kurt walked up closer to her. “I have something you really need to see,” he told her earnestly. “You need to get in my truck.”

Amy started to gage distances as she backed away from him. Was she was too far from the recreation center to run back there for help?

Suddenly, a large hunting knife appeared in Kurt’s hand. “Now, Ms. Greenburg,” he said, as he grabbed her arm and led her towards his truck.

After Amy had climbed into the passenger’s seat of his truck, Kurt efficiently tied her in using a piece of nylon rope he seemed to have had waiting for her. He then climbed into the driver’s seat, and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Kurt, what is going on?” Amy asked as he drove the truck down several asphalt roads and out into the country. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll soon see,” Kurt promised her. “Sorry about having to grab you like that,” he added. “But, when you see it, I think you’ll like my surprise.”

“Kurt, you know you can untie me,” Amy told him. “I’m not about to jump out of a moving vehicle.”

“I know that,” Kurt replied. “But, you never know about other people. They might see you and try to stop us.”

“Stop us?” Amy questioned. “Kurt, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know,” Kurt glanced at her, shyly. “The flowers, the cards, and the phone calls. You do know. You just won’t admit it.”

Amy thought fast. “You mean those flowers that I found on my doorstep a while back?” she asked. “Those were from you?”

“Of course,” he told her. “Did you like them?”

“Oh, yes,” she assured him. “They were really pretty! Thank you!”

As Kurt turned the truck off the main road and onto a seldom-used driveway, Amy’s spirits plummeted. Any hope of attracting the attention of an oncoming vehicle and being rescued seemed to be falling further and further away.

“What’s down here?” she asked, fighting to keep her voice calm.

“My family’s farm,” Kurt told her. “Also, a chance for you to do something you have always wanted to do.”

“Really, and what is that?” Amy did not have a good feeling about this.

“You’ll see,” Kurt promised as he steered the truck around behind the farmhouse and brought it to a stop in front of a small, wooden outbuilding.

He untied Amy and helped her out of the truck. The hunting knife still prominently displayed in his belt.


	28. Chapter 27

“We need to get going,” Detective Addams urged. “He’s probably taking her to the family farm. We have to get her back!”

“Let’s not rush into this,” Hotch cautioned. “Up until this point, Kurt hasn’t shown any signs of being violent. We don’t want to put him in a situation where he feels cornered. We have no way of knowing what he will do then.”

“And, now he has two women,” Rossi pointed out. “That’s two lives we know are in danger.”

“The thing I don’t understand,” Deputy Kelly spoke up, “Is why this personality change occurred all of a sudden? By all accounts Kurt has always been a nice, normal, law abiding individual.”

“He most likely was as normal as you and I,” Rossi told him. “However, after his parents were killed in that accident he lost his ‘moral compass’, if you will. He had no anchor in his life. Then, he met Ms. Greenburg and to him she seemed to be someone he could depend on and could use as his anchor in life. Without her knowing it, she became the object of his obsession.”

“He’s been practicing on improving his dissecting skills so he can impress her,” Blake continued. “My guess is that it got out of hand.”

JJ was studying her tablet. “Garcia’s sent us directions to the farm,” she announced. “And, it’s getting dark out. We need to get going.”

“Kevlar vests, and no sirens,” Hotch suggested. “As far as we know, both Sue Ann Harris and Amy Greenburg are still alive. We need to move quietly so we don’t spook him.”

The local sheriff’s officers led the way in their vehicles, with the state police and FBI following. As Hotch had suggested, neither sirens nor flashing lights were used and, once the vehicles had turned off the highway and onto the driveway leading to the farmhouse, all headlights were turned off. The vehicles stopped about 100 feet from the buildings and the team leaders got out to approach the buildings on foot.

“I don’t see any lights on in the house,” Hotch whispered when they got closer.

“His truck is parked around back, in front of that small outbuilding,” Detective Addams observed. “There seems to be a light on out there.”

“I can send several of my guys to clear the house while your team goes into the shed,” Deputy Kelly told Hotch.

“That sounds like the best idea,” Hotch agreed. “Let’s do it!”


	29. Chapter 28

Kurt unlocked the door of the shed and flicked on the lights before he and Amy stepped inside. He had taken the hunting knife out of his belt and was again holding it against Amy’s back. 

Amy looked around curiously. “Kurt, what is this place?” she asked. Then, she saw Sue Ann, unconscious and tied to a chair. “Oh my gosh!” She rushed over to examine the girl. 

“This is Sue Ann Harris,” she exclaimed as she checked for a pulse. “Kurt, what is going on here?”

“She’s still alive,” Amy pulled out her cell phone. “We need to call for an ambulance right away!”

“I can’t let you do that, Ms. Greenburg,” Kurt told her as he grabbed her phone and threw it against the wall. “That’ll ruin everything.”

“What?” Amy questioned.

“It’s just what you always wanted to do, Ms. Greenburg,” Kurt explained proudly. “I have everything arranged and set up. You can examine a real, live human body. I’ve been practicing, so I know how to do it!”

Amy looked at him horrified. “Kurt, where ever did you get that idea?” she demanded as she began backing away from him. 

Amy turned her head to listen as she thought she heard a noise outside the shed. Suddenly lights flashed on and the door burst open. 

“Kurt Everly, this is the FBI,” Morgan called out from the doorway. “I need you to drop that knife and put your hands where I can see them.”

Kurt looked at him, shocked. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Put the knife down!” Morgan repeated.

“You’re ruining everything,” Kurt complained. “Ms. Greenburg. You were talking to him earlier. You know him. Make him go away.”

“I’m sorry, Kurt. I can’t do that,” Amy told him softly. “You’re going to have to do exactly what he says.” 

Kurt looked at her as he dropped the knife to the ground. “What is going to happen now?” he asked. 

Amy motioned to Morgan to stay where he was for a moment while she spoke to the despondent man. “Well, Kurt, I think you are going to have to talk to some people,” she told him. “Then, you are probably going to have to talk to some more people and some more people. Eventually, you are going to have to go away and stay some place for a while. But, sooner or later, you will realize what you did was wrong. Then, you can start over again.”

Rossi walked over and kicked the knife away while Morgan put restraints on the non-resisting man. Reid and JJ rushed over to untie the unconscious Sue Ann and lower her to the floor, while Blake gently led a trembling Amy out of the shed.


	30. Chapter 29

****As they watched the ambulance pull away, taking Sue Ann to the hospital, a horrified Amy turned to Blake. “You mean I started this – I am the one who is responsible???” she asked.

“No, this is not your fault!” Blake told her, emphatically. “You had no way of knowing that the minute Kurt walked into the after school program room and you smiled at him, that he would begin devolving. This is his doing, not yours!”

“She’s; right - You need to remember that!” Rossi added. “You did nothing wrong!”

Rossi helped Blake while she carefully lowered Amy to the ground as the young teacher collapsed, sobbing hysterically.

Shortly afterward, Morgan and Rossi watched as the second ambulance left, taking Amy to the hospital.

“Do you think she will ever go back to teaching?” Morgan wondered.

“No. I think we just lost another good hardworking, caring teacher, and it’s a damned shame. One good teacher can change a person for life,” Rossi replied sadly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone thinks I forgot about Reid and Christine, let me assure you I haven't. Please have patience. There is at least one more chapter coming, dedicated solely to them.


	31. Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

It was 7:00 p.m. the following Tuesday evening, and Hotch and Beth were attending an art exhibit of student works sponsored by the University’s Art Department. As they wandered from work to work, Hotch listening to Beth’s observations, she suddenly paused.

“Isn’t that Reid over there – With a woman?” she asked, nodding her head toward the far end of the gallery.

Hotch stretched to see over the crowd. “Oh, yes – That’s Christine. I think I told you about her – At The Business Institute?” he asked.

“They make a cute couple, and I love her top,” Beth observed. “We should go over and say ‘Hi!’ ”

Hotch took a deep breath. “She is a bit of a chameleon. She looks good with Rossi, too,” was his comment.

“Both Reid and Rossi??” Beth was surprised. “This is a lady I have to meet!”

As they began walking across the room Christine turned, saw them, and smiled. She said something to Reid who also turned. His expression was harder to read.

“Aaron – How good to see you again!” Christine greeted him. After a brief hesitation as they exchanged glances, she gave him a hug.

“It’s good to see you too,” Hotch smiled down at her. “I would like you to meet my friend, Beth,” he continued.

Christine turned to Beth. “I’ve heard the name – Now I have a face to put with it. Nice to finally meet you!”

“And, Beth, of course, you know Reid,” Hotch added unnecessarily.

Reid gave Beth a small wave. “Hi - Nice to see you again.”

Hotch looked at Reid. “I must say, I am kind of surprised to see you here,” he commented.

Christine smiled at him. “Tuesday is my day to come in, meet with my Thesis Advisor, and attend her weekly seminar,” she explained. “I wanted to see what the Art Department students have been doing this semester, and asked Spencer if he would like to come with me.”

She turned to Beth. “Have you seen anything you want to snap up for the gallery?” she asked.

“Not quite,” Beth told her. “Although, there are several pieces that I find rather interesting.”

“Probably that painting on the left wall in the second room,” Reid observed. “The one where there appears to be a snail crawling across the bottom of it.”

Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. “Christine mentioned it,” he admitted.

“It reminded me of a Joan Miro – Not so much the content as the overall feel,” she explained.

Beth looked at Christine. “You know, you’re right,” she exclaimed. “I had a feeling about it. Would you like to go take another look?”

As the women started toward the other room, Hotch turned to Reid. “Joan Miro??” he asked.

“A Catalan painter known for his style of painting known as Surrealism,” Reid explained as they hurried to catch up. “He is also known as a sculpture and ceramicist. Some of his public sculptures are – Ah, you really don’t want to know all of this, do you?” he asked.

Hotchner looked pained. “Actually – I do. I don’t know a whole lot about art and with Beth – ,” he replied, his comment trailing off.

“Well, I can tell you all about what the experts say about the established artists and their work,” Reid told him. “But as for what is good and what isn’t, I really don’t know. I just know what won’t give me nightmares.”

By the time Hotch and Reid had reached the second room, Beth and Christine were in front of the painting examining it.

“I see what you mean,” Beth observed. “That Surrealism feeling and the colors, it definitely evokes Miro’s earlier paintings. Does this student have anything else in the show?”

Christine turned around and scanned the other walls. “Not that I saw,” she said. “Of course, I didn’t look too closely at the labels; I was mostly looking at the various works.”

“No. You’re right,” Reid told her. “There wasn’t anything else.” He shrugged and explained, “I did read the labels.”

Hotch glanced at his watch and then at Beth. “Is anyone hungry?” he asked. “Beth and I were planning on getting something to eat after we were done here. Would you care to join us?”

Christine looked at Reid. “We really hadn’t discussed doing anything after we were finished here,” Christine replied. “But, I haven’t eaten and with all the running around I’ve done today I would welcome a chance to sit down for a while.”

She picked up Reid’s wrist and checked his watch. The move was surprisingly intimate, particularly for Reid, and Hotch noted that while he flinched slightly at first, he didn’t seem to object to her familiarity.

Christine smiled at Hotch. “I do have some time before I have to catch the last train out,” she confirmed.

“What do you have in mind?” Reid chimed in. “There is a great Indian place right around the corner.”


	32. What Is Reid Thinking?

Two and a half hours later, both couples were still sitting at a table in the Indian restaurant, laughing and talking. 

“You have got to be kidding!” Beth exclaimed to Christina. “That really happened?”

“It certainly did,” Christine assured her. “Everyone has a funky first car, it’s just that mine was funkier than most!”

“I remember my first car,” Hotch smiled at the memory. “The front windows would go down, but then the motor that operated them would stick. Unless I opened up inside panel of the offending door and manually turned it off, the motor would keep running until it killed the battery. However, that car was a really hot red color!”

“Mine had a defective speedometer,” Beth remembered fondly. “And, as hard as I tried to travel slightly slower than the other traffic, I never quite succeeded. I just kept getting more tickets!”

Christine picked up Reid’s wrist, and squinted at his watch. 

“If I am reading this right,” she said, twisting her head to get a better look, “I have to run or I’ll miss my train.”

She stood up and started gathering her packages. “It has been really great talking with you!” she told Hotch and Beth.

Beth smiled at her. “It has been super!” she agreed. “We’ll have to get together again sometime.”

Hotch stood up and moved to the other side of the table to give Christine a hug. “Christine, it has been great seeing you again. Hopefully, Reid will bring you to our next team outing.”

“That sounds great. I look forward to it,” Christine told him. She glanced around by her chair. “I think I have everything. If you find something I left behind, let me know. Bye!!!”

Reid walked her as far as the restaurant door and, after opening the door for her, returned to the table, and sat down. 

Beth looked up at him with a smile. “Spemcer, she is great! Where did you say you met her?” she asked.

Reid shuffled in his seat uncomfortably and glanced over at Hotch.

“She was part of an investigation we ran at a private training center several weeks back,” Hotch took over the explanation. “She worked with Rossi. Did a really good job, too. She and Reid are the ones who figured out how the poison was being administered.”

“I’m impressed! Beth exclaimed. “A scholar and a sleuth. Spencer, that sounds like a winning combination to me!”

“That remains to be seen,” was Reid’s non-committal response. “It’s about time I left, too. What do I owe you, Hotch?” He started reaching for his wallet.

Hotch held up his hand. “Forget about it, Reid. You can get it next time,” he told the young agent. “See you at the office tomorrow.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Reid replied as he stood up. He gave a small wave to Beth. “Nice to see you again.”

“I really enjoyed seeing you again, too” Beth smiled at him. “Take care.”

As Reid left the restaurant, Beth turned to Hotch. “Reid seems awfully reticent to talk about Christine,” she observed.

“You know Reid,” Hotch replied. “He likes to keep his private life private.”

“Yes, but he just walked her as far as the door,” Beth observed. “He didn’t walk her to the Metro stop. He didn’t hug her, or kiss her good night, or even shake her hand.”

“That’s just Reid,” Hotch told her. “He’s a little socially awkward.”

As he and Beth continued talking on their way home, Hotch had a fleeting thought that maybe Reid was being secretive about his relationship because he didn’t know what Christine really did at The Institute. However, the thought quickly slipped his mind as he enjoyed his evening with Beth.


End file.
